Two of Penn State football’s most important players are on watch for a major college football award.
Nicholas Singleton (1,061 yards, 12 touchdowns, 156 carries in 2022) and Kaytron Allen (867 yards, 10 touchdowns, 167 carries) are each on the Doak Walker Award watchlist, we found out Wednesday afternoon.
#LawnBoyz ⛽️
Doak Walker Award Watch List → Best Running Back in College Football#WeAre | @PSULawnBoyz pic.twitter.com/lvv9L1CpmH
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) August 9, 2023
Singleton and Allen put up the above numbers as true freshmen, turning Penn State’s running game from a weakness to a strength. The two shattered the record for touchdowns by a Penn State running back and became the first Big Ten RB duo to each eclipse 700 yards.
Singleton, the 2022 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, was named a Freshman All-American by ESPN, the FWAA, ON3 and 247Sports
Singleton is now on three award watchlists. He was also named to the Maxwell and Paul Hornung Award Watchlist, which Allen was not.
Since its inception in 1990, only one Penn State player has won the Doak Walker Award– named for the great SMU tailback– that being Larry Johnson in 2002. That season, “LJ” put up arguably the most dominant season ever by a Penn State runner, ending the year with 2,087 yards, 20 touchdowns and 7.7 yards per carry. Johnson’s still the only back to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season, along with being the school’s only Doak Walker Award winner.
Singleton and Allen each have to win something that Penn State RBs such as Saquon Barkley, Ki-Jana Carter and Evan Royster never won. In November, the Doak Walker candidates will be narrowed to 10 and then shortly after that to three. Finally, the winner will be announced Dec. 7.
